Propelling and steering vessels



(No Modl.)

J. -1P. SARGENT. PROPBLLING AND STEERING VESSELS.

Patented Apr. 19

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N. Prrgns. Pholb-Ulhognphur"Wuhingtomu;C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. SARGENT, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

PROPELLING AND STEERING VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,549, dated April 19, 1887.

Application filed July l3, 1886. Serial No. 207,923.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMEs F. SARGENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Manchester, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Propelling and Steering Vessels, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invent-ion relates to improvements in means for propelling and steering vessels; and it consists of the peculiar combination of devices and novel construction and arrangement of the various parts for service, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a vessel with means for maneuvering the same, especially in turning to the right or left, or in giving the entire vessel a lateral movement,

and to provide means whereby the main propeller can be readily thrown out of use when either of the steering-propellers are to be employed in turning either the bow or stern of the vessel.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improvements, showing them applied to a hull of a vessel, which is in section, to more clearly illustrate the construction thereof. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the hull with my invention ap plied thereto.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates the hull of a vessel of the ordinary or any preferred pattern, which is provided near its bow and stern with channel-ways a a, which are arranged trans versely across the same and open at their terminal ends through the sides of the hull, so that the water can freely and readily enter the same. These transverse channel-ways are located at or beneath the water-line of the hull, and they are preferably made tubular in form to permit the auxiliary steering-propellers to readily rotate therein without injuring the hull; but this shape or form can be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

B designates the main driving-shaft, which 50 is arranged centrally and longitudinally of the hull, and is suitably journaled in bearings of (No model.)

any preferred pattern.- The shaft is made of one continuous length; but if the hull is very long it can be madein two, three, or more sections coupled together and adapted for simultaneous rotation, and the shaft may be driven by any suitable motor or power, which, however, forms no part of my present invention, and I have therefore not deemed it necessary to illustrate or describe any means for driving the shaft. 1

The front end of the shaft B extends to beyond the transverse channel-way a at the bow of the vessel, and the rear end of the shaft extends beyond the corresponding channel-way, a, at the stern of the vessel, as shown. This rear end of the main driving-shaft B is adapted to be coupled to a horizontal propeller-shaft, O, that carries the main propeller O, of any preferred pattern. This propeller-shaft G is suitably held or journaled, and it forms a continuation of or is arranged in line with the main driving-shaft B, as shown in Fig. 1. This main propeller is employed to drive or propel the vessel in astraight line; but when it is desired to give the vessel a lateral motion, it is necessary to first throw the main propeller 0 out ofoperatiomwithout necessitating the stoppage of the main driving-shaft B, from which the auxiliary steering-propellers derive their motive power. This result is attained by the use of clutch mechanism D, of any preferred form, the sliding section of which is operated by means of a lever, D. It will be seen that the lever can be operated to throw the sliding section of the clutch into engagement with the fixed section, and thereby cause the propellershat't to be rotated by the main driving-shaft,

and thus propel the vessel in a straight line;

but when the lever is operated to disengage the clutch-sections the propeller-shaft remains at rest, while the main driving-shaft is free to rotate without operating the main propeller.

E F designate the auxiliary steering-propellers, which are located in the transverse channel-ways a a of the hull and on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis thereof. Thus the propeller E is located in the channel-way a on the left-hand side of the longitudinal axis of the hull, while the propeller F is located in the channel-way a on theright-hand side. The inner end of the shaft of each of these auxiliary propellers is geared to the main driving-shaft, to be rotated or driven thereby, and at the outer end the shafts carry the propellers,which are of the ordinary pattern. The shafts of the propellers are adapted to be thrown into and out of gear with the main driving-shaft by clutch mechanism G, which are operated by the levers g.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings. \Vhen it is desired to turn the vessel in one direction, the proper clutch is operated to throw one of the auxiliary steering-propellers, as E, into gear with the driving-shaft, the main propeller 0' being driven or rotated by the drivingshaft, or not, as is necessary, and if the vessel is to be turned in the reverse direction the other propeller, as F, is thrown into gear with the driving-shaft, the propeller E having been first disengaged therefrom.

I do not desire to confine myself to the ex act form of clutch mechanism and propellers herein shown and described as an embodiment of my invention, as I am aware that the same can be changed without materially departing from the spirit or sacrificing the ad-- vantages of my invention.

I am aware that it has been heretofore proposed to provide the hull of a vessel with transverse passages in which are located propellers which are geared at all times to and arranged on the same side of a longitudinal drivingshaft; also, that propellers located in transverse recesses on opposite sides of a hull have been mounted upon opposite ends of a transverse crank-shaft. I am further aware that a hull provided with a transverse channel extending through the same, in which is located a propeller that is arranged at right angles to and geared at all times with a driving-shaft, which has clutch mechanism at its inner end for throwing it in and out of gear with the engine, is not new; but these devices are not of my invention, and I therefore disclaim the same.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a main drivingshaft, of auxiliary propellers located in transverse channel-ways in the hull near the bow and stern thereof, said propellers being arranged substantially at right angles to and on opposite sides of a line drawn longitudinally through the hull, and each having suitable clutch mechanism for throwing the same into and out of gear with the driving-shaft, whereby either propeller may be used independently of the other at will, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

2. The hull having the transverse channelways arranged near the bow and stern thereof, a main driving-shaft, a main propeller for propelling the vessel in a straight line, and mechanism for throwing the main propeller into and out of gear'with the driving-shaft, in combination with the auxiliary propellers located in the channel-ways and arranged on opposite sides of the driving-shaft, each of the said auxiliary propellers having suitable clutch mech-' In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in 7 presence of two witnesses.

J. F. SARGENT.

WVitnesses:

S. I. EDMoNDs, J os. FORREST. 

